Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mahe Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Mahe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,831 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $2,484 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $3,138 in Mahe.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 27% more expensive than in Mahe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barcelona 74% above, Mahe 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.46

$15.62 SCR 224

13.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$70.1 SCR 1,004

-0.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.40

$7.82 SCR 112

81.07%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$4.34 SCR 62.3

-35.48%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.46

$2.29 SCR 32.85

22.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.75 SCR 25.10

17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.03

$8.43 SCR 121

-45.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.11

$5.26 SCR 75.3

-10.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.53 SCR 21.95

-19.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.04 SCR 14.87

95.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.77 SCR 25.31

11.86%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$4.09 SCR 58.6

-14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.05

$15.62 SCR 224

17.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.61

$7.82 SCR 112

25.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.75

$12.50 SCR 179

53.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$2.02 SCR 28.94

35.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.24 SCR 32.15

-7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$5.08 SCR 72.8

-45.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.99 SCR 14.24

97.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.94 SCR 13.44

90.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.03 SCR 14.71

43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.25

$11.97 SCR 172

-40.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.90

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$2.02 SCR 29.01

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.05 SCR 29.36

16.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.64

$0.85 SCR 12.18

254.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.71

$24.36 SCR 349

20.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$10.51 SCR 151

-58.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.17 SCR 45.40

-32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.93

$10.43 SCR 149

183.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.60

$1.57 SCR 22.42

15.92%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$37.9K €33.2K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.4K €28.4K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$189 €166

$83.0 SCR 1,189

127.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.29 €19.52

$20.78 SCR 298

7.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.55

$159 SCR 2,276

-76.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$51.9 SCR 744

11.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.09

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.52

$6.28 SCR 90.0

73.09%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 €618

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$27.08 SCR 388

230.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.06

$10.80 SCR 155

238.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$43.76 SCR 627

137.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €105

$55.5 SCR 794

115.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,383

$844 SCR 12.1K

87.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,084

$862 SCR 12.3K

43.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,375

$1,717 SCR 24.6K

57.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,786

$1,038 SCR 14.9K

96.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,592

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,588

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,070

$886 SCR 12.7K

166.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Mahe: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $844 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 167% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $70.0 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $320 vs $240, with Mahe cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Barcelona vs Mahe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Mahe differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,831 including rent). Mahe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 167% higher in Barcelona, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $844 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mahe – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Mahe runs roughly 20% less than in Barcelona. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,831 in Mahe versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mahe but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Mahe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Mahe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mahe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.